Star Tracks
by GuardianLioness
Summary: After a bizarre accident in the woods outside of Gravity Falls leads to an encounter with an intelligent monster, Dipper finds himself trapped in the midst of an ancient war. Torn between the power the war has given him and a desire to return home, he must keep his friends and family safe and prevent them from discovering his fate. (Rated T for peril/violence, no profanity.)
1. The Avalanche

"Why does Stan have us hanging these signs?" Wendy asked, skeptically glaring at the bright yellow arrow in her hand. "It's not like the tourists come back here."

"I have no idea," Dipper said, carefully averting his gaze. He quickly attached it to a tree. They had been sentenced to marking trails in the mountainous woods behind the Shack. Ordinarily, he would have been frustrated with the pointless task. Today, however, he was working with Wendy, his friend and crush. "But it could be worse." He risked a quick smile. "At least I get to hang out with my best friend."

"Dude," Wendy laughed. "That's pushing it a bit. I'm sure you've got better friends back home." She hung another sign along the path.

Dipper found himself fighting the flush that rose on his face. He bit his tongue before answering. "Not really. I don't have many friends back home except Mabel. And she's my sister, so she doesn't count."

"No friends?" Wendy's eyebrows furrowed. "I can't believe that, man. You're chill. You have to have at least ONE friend."  
"N...No," he admitted, studying the ground intently. "The kids back home think I'm a nerd and a dork. Mabel's the only one who tolerates me."

"You ARE a dork," Wendy grinned, punching him in the arm. He flinched but smiled. "And a nerd. But I don't see what's wrong with that. That's just who you are, man." She went back to hanging signs. While she worked, she thought about what the boy had said. "And you don't ditch me like the 'cool' people." Her fingers twitched in air quotes.  
Now it was Dipper's turn to be incredulous. "People ditch you?"

"Oh yeah," she said with a slight frown. "All the time. They leave when someone better comes along. Or when someone better texts them, in Tambry's case." Dipper's eyes went wide.

"You're kidding. Why would anyone ditch you? You're awesome."

Wendy shrugged. "Dunno. Their choice, though, even if it stinks."

"Well, I wouldn't ditch you unless it was an emergency," Dipper muttered.

"Thanks," she said, her face softening into a sincere smile. He hadn't meant to say it aloud, and he panicked for a moment before realizing she hadn't minded the comment. He went back to posting the arrows, humming to himself.

They worked for about fifteen minutes in silence. Dipper didn't speak because he was scared he would embarrass himself. Wendy didn't speak because she was thinking. It didn't surprise her that Dipper wasn't popular back in the big city. He was too analytical and too mature to easily befriend kids his age. What baffled her was that he didn't have any friends besides Mabel. Yeah, he was a dork, but he wasn't incapable of social interaction. He was awkward, but not that awkward.

Her train of thought was interrupted by Dipper's tense voice. "Wendy, do you hear that?" Did she hear what? She stopped to listen. There was a growing rumble in the distance. It sounded almost like a truck. She glanced over at Dipper just as his eyes widened in realization. "RUN!" he screamed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back down the trail to the Shack.

"Wait, what?!" Wendy didn't pull away or stop running, but she insisted that Dipper explain. "Dipper, what is it?!" The sound grew even louder. Now it was more like the roar of a passing train.

"Avalanche!" he gasped.

"But it's the middle of summer!"

"Just run!" he insisted. They were both breathing with difficulty. Dipper's lungs burned as he inhaled. It had to be an avalanche. That was the only explanation for the noise. But Wendy was right, he thought. An avalanche in summer? He chanced a look over his shoulder. Sure enough, a wall of white was closing in. Snow tumbled in shifting shapes that reminded Dipper of clouds. Clouds that could bury them alive.

The avalanche was moving too quickly. Soon it would catch up and engulf them. He desperately cast about for a way to survive. There! There was a ledge to one side of the path! If they sheltered beneath it, they might be able to avoid the worst of it and create an air pocket so they could breathe. "See that ridge?"

"Yeah?" She shouted over the roar of the oncoming snow.

"We have to get underneath it!" He didn't wait for her reply but forced himself to go faster. As they neared the gap, he let go of her wrist and dived underneath. Dipper expected Wendy to slide in next to him, but instead he heard a dull "thud", and saw Wendy's head connect with the shelf of rock above him. Her foot had gotten caught in a sinkhole. She had tripped and collided with the ridge!

"Wendy!" he called. She didn't move. He reached for her wrists again and, mustering all of the strength in his noodle arms, dragged her underneath the shelf. He tried to swallow his worry. Before he could check and see if she was okay, he had to handle the avalanche.

Dipper squirmed out of his blue vest and moved towards the open end of the ridge. He braced one side of his body against the stone ceiling and the other against the ground. Hopefully, the snow would glance off of his back instead of working its way into the cavern. As the rumble grew to an utterly deafening roar, he looked back at Wendy again. She still wasn't moving, but he thought he could see the faint motion of her breathing.

The snow came. The snow came in a wave stronger than the ocean. The cold burned through his t-shirt and into his skin, until it hurt so much it was numb. Dipper shut his eyes, trying to ignore the pain. His ears were ringing from the sound of the snow. It seemed to go on forever. Until suddenly, it was over.

Dipper slowly blinked. He saw pitch black, even when his eyes were open. "Am I dead?" he said aloud, but even as he spoke, he could feel grass and dirt in his left hand, and solid rock against his right arm. No. He pried himself away from the wall of snow at his back, crawling towards the back of the ledge-cavern. The snow was so tightly packed that, even when he moved, it stayed together. Dipper's hand brushed against something soft - his vest! Hastily yanking off his sopping wet t-shirt, he slid the vest on and zipped it up the front. His back was completely numb. He hoped desperately he wasn't frostbitten or bleeding.

"Wendy," he called again. Still no answer. He reached out until he caught hold of her wrist again. He dropped it immediately with a shout of surprise. She was burning up! Edging around towards her head, he put a hand on her face. Her forehead was so hot, it hurt. "Concussion," he said, his voice cracked in panic. She needed to get out of here. She needed to get to a hospital! He struggled back to the wall of snow.

Now that his body heat was building up inside his vest, his back began to prickle painfully. He set his jaw. The only way out of this mess was to dig. He began burrowing into the snow with his bare hands, pushing it off to the side so it wouldn't get Wendy wet. Panting with effort, he managed to punch a hole through to the surface. A tiny glint of sunlight shone into the cavern. He leaned back to rest, glad for the progress. However, now that he could see, he was even more worried about Wendy. She was still and unresponsive. He lightly touched her arm. Still feverish.

Spotting his wet shirt, he had a sudden idea. He gathered some of the snow and wrapped it securely in the fabric. He set it on her head to cool her fever. As he rested, he began to shiver violently. The cold was seeping into his wet frame. He dragged himself over to the opening, hoping to claw away the last of the snow before he succumbed to the freezing temperature.

"I can...Get through," he muttered to himself. Just a bit more to go! But as he reached to push the last few inches away, portions of the wall began to collapse inward. If he kept digging and climbed out, the snow could bury Wendy! Despair settled into Dipper's stomach. "I won't leave her," he said, as if ordering himself to obey. He moved to sit next to her, trying to keep his shivering under control. His eyelids grew heavier. He let them close. After all of his work, surely it would be okay to go to sleep?


	2. The Rescue

Dipper moaned, slowly coming back to consciousness. He heard a crackling noise, like a campfire. At first, he felt nothing, but gradually became aware of a horrible burning sensation on his back. He moaned again and moved to sit up, only to realize he was lying on his stomach in a pile of something soft and fuzzy. He forced his eyes open. Fur. He was on top of a pile of cleaned animal furs. He tensed. Where was he? Wait, where was Wendy?! He sat up, careful not to put any weight on his back or shoulders, glancing frantically around.

He was in a small, round room. The walls were made of wood. There was a fireplace in one corner. Flames danced around inside the grate. To his relief, Wendy was asleep on a hastily made cot on the other side of the room. She was covered animal pelts like the ones Dipper was sitting on. Even from where he was, he could see a huge bruise on her forehead. He flinched internally, hoping she wasn't in too much pain.

There was a rustling side to his left. A curtain to his left parted, and a monster stepped through. He gasped. It was about five feet tall, and covered in tan-yellow fur. It wore a shirt and pants made out of more animal pelts. A long tail with a gold tuft at the end waved behind it. "He lives!" it said, showing its sharp teeth in a smile. it had a rounded muzzle and oval-shaped ears atop its head.  
"Aah!" Dipper tried to slide back, away from the creature. The monster's eyes widened.

"No, no, I'm not going to hurt you, I promise!" the creature blurted out, holding one paw out in a gesture of harmlessness. Dipper couldn't help but notice that it had five digits and gray pads on its palms. He also noticed that the voice was distinctly female. "I found you in the snow, both dying of cold!"

There was something in her manner that made him pause. Maybe she really was just trying to help. Dipper tried to slow his breathing and calm his racing heart. He felt dizzy and sick. "What are you?" he asked, his voice still quavering a bit from fear and stress. The creature's face fell.

"I'm...I'm not sure," she said, as if admitting something painful.

"Are you a werewolf?"

"No," she snorted. "I'm pretty sure I'm not a werewolf. Wolves don't have retractable claws." She twitched her fingers and claws shot from the tips. She twitched them again and they vanished. Dipper gulped. "No!" she said again, suddenly realizing she had come across as threatening. "That's not what I meant. I'm a friend." She held up a small stone bowl in her other hand. "I brought something for your back. It's in pretty bad shape." He eyed the bowl suspiciously.

The creature took a hesitant step forward. Dipper didn't react. If she was an enemy, there wasn't much he could do. If she was a friend, he needed the help. "See?" she said, holding the bowl out to him. Inside was a paste made of different leaves. "Just let me help. Lay back down on your stomach." When he didn't move, the creature rolled her eyes. "I swear, I'm not going to eat you or anything." Finally, he gave in, shifting so that he was on his stomach again. He suddenly realized that his vest, hat, and shoes were gone. Before he could ask about them, there was a sharp pain in his back, followed by an incredible relief. He let out an involuntary sigh.

The creature poured the stuff from the bowl onto the boy's back, careful not to touch the red, inflamed skin. "Helps, doesn't it?" she laughed at his reaction. "You saved her, y'know. Once I spotted that small hole in the snow and dug you out, I realized you must have spread yourself across the opening to keep the avalanche from reaching her. Given her condition, she probably would have died if you hadn't done that."

"Is she okay?" Dipper spoke for the first time, and the creature she understood his question, however, her smile faded.

"I don't know. She's clearly been concussed. I don't think her skull is broken, but she's in a bad way. If there's internal bleeding, there's nothing I can do to help." The creature's ears folded back in sadness. "As soon as you can move, we need to get both of you back to civilization. You're not as injured as she is, but I still think you should have your back looked at."

"I...I can move now," he said, struggling back to a sitting position. "If Wendy needs help, I can do it." The monster nodded.  
"Right. Do you think you can help me carry her? I don't think I can get her all the way to the town by myself," she asked.  
"Yes," Dipper said, his fists clenched in determination.

"Alright," the monster said, getting up. "I'll go get the stretcher." She disappeared back through the curtain, but returned in a heartbeat carrying a huge, folded pelt, two wooden poles, and Dipper's shirt, vest, and hat. "Your shoes are outside," she said. "These were soaking wet when I found you. They should be dry now." She set the clothes down next to him on the pile of furs.

"Thanks," Dipper said, reaching for them. He hesitated before pulling his shirt on. Would the fabric reignite the fiery pain on his back? No, it didn't. The paste had formed a barrier that protected his skin. The creature busied herself with arranging the stretcher on the floor. She hummed to herself as she worked, but then stopped mid-song. "What's your name?" she asked.

Dipper was taken aback by the sudden question. "Dipper," he said, sliding his arms into his vest. "Dipper Pines." The creature froze, her eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Is something wrong?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, not at all." Her voice was uncertain.

"Do you have a name?" Dipper asked, tugging on his cap.

"Abigail," she said, avoiding his gaze. She finished arranging the stretcher. "Are you ready?"

"Just a minute," Dipper said, dashing to collect his shoes from just beyond the door-curtain. He laced them up quickly, moving towards the cot where the unconscious girl lay. Abigail already stood near Wendy's head.

"I'm going to take most of the weight because you're injured. It will be your job to make sure that I'm setting her down in the right place, understand?" the creature asked. Dipper nodded. Abigail slid her pawlike hands underneath Wendy's still frame, careful to keep her head from lolling back, and in one movement, lifted her from the cot. Dipper caught Wendy's feet. Together the two lowered her to pelt stretcher. "Alright," Abigail straightened up. "Take those poles," she said, motioning with her tail. "And lift on my count. Three, two, one, now."

Dipper's arms trembled slightly with the effort, but he set his jaw and managed to keep pace with Abigail. "It isn't far to the Mys- That ramshackle building on the edge of the town. Can you call an ambulance from there?" She didn't turn her head to look at him, instead focusing on finding the easiest path.

"Yeah," the boy panted. "Actually, I kinda live there." He thought he saw the creature's ears flick backward.  
"Good. It isn't long now. Hang on." She seemed to sense that he was beginning to lose his grip on the poles. Dipper readjusted his hands. His back was starting to prickle uncomfortably again. After a few more minutes, he began to notice yellow arrows pinned to the trees. As the shack clearing came into view, Abigail spoke. "This is as far as I go."

After they eased the stretcher to the ground, Abigail turned to Dipper. "You must not tell anyone about me. Do you understand?" She asked.

"Yes," Dipper said, his voice suddenly shaky again. The monster-girl seemed to have grown dramatically in size, and her voice was commanding.

"Under no circumstances are you to come looking for me again. Now go, get help." Abigail turned abruptly, dashing back into the woods. She was out of sight before he could blink. Without waiting a single second more, he ran towards the Mystery Shack.

"GRUNKLE STAN! MABEL! SOOS! ANYONE!"

* * *

"The time is coming soon, Brother Owl," a rumbling voice said calmly. "It will happen in a heartbeat."

"Is that so, Sister Lion?" A smooth, echoing voice replied.

"I was not foolish in choosing my champion so quickly, Brother Owl. One needed to be ready, to teach the others as a mother teaches cubs."

"So you say, Sister Lion. Undoubtedly that is how it will come to pass. Your champion will train the others. What I do doubt," Brother Owl paused. "Is that it will happen 'soon'. It has not happened for thousands of years. What makes this decade any different from the last?"

"I know not," Sister Lion said gleefully. "But one thing I DO know. I have met your champion!"


	3. The Curse

Dipper walked stiffly through the hospital corridor. Mabel squeezed his hand tightly. She sniffled. "What's the matter, sis?" Dipper asked, trying to muffle a yawn.

"I almost lost you today!" she blurted out. "To an avalanche! In the middle of summer!"

"But you didn't," he grinned. Thanks to Abigail, he thought.

"Still! Do you know how scary it was? Waiting for you to come home? Asking around town only to find out no one had seen you OR Wendy all day?!"

"Mabel, shush, we're in a hospital!" He said in a harsh whisper.

"It was scary," she insisted.

"It was scary being buried alive," Dipper said flatly.

"I still can't believe you managed to drag Wendy out of the snow and back to the Shack." It was now Mabel's turn to grin. "Maybe you're not such a wimp after all!" She went to slap him on the back. He inhaled sharply, trying to ignore the intense pain. "Oh, sorry broseph," she smiled apologetically. "Are you gonna explain how your back got all messed up?"

Dipper didn't answer. He glanced up, checking the number on the door. "Right here," he said, knocking twice.

"Come in."

The twins pushed the door open. Wendy sat upright in a bed near the window, an IV drip attached to her wrist. "An avalanche," she said in a deadpan voice. "I don't know what's more bizarre. That we got caught in an avalanche in the middle of summer, or that you knew what an avalanche sounded like." She suddenly broke out into a grin. "I don't remember much after you said to run, but everyone's told me you saved my life."

"I did a project on avalanches in the fifth grade," he admitted. He smiled back, hoping his face wasn't as flushed as it felt. "I guess, maybe a little bit." Dipper quickly tried to change the subject. "Are you okay?"

"Just a little brain damaged. The doctors say I'll recover. What about you, man? Why are you walking like a robot?"

"He's got bandages all down his back!" Mabel broke in, finally unable to be ignored any longer.

"No way!" Wendy exclaimed. "Dude, show us! That's so cool!"

"No, I-" he started, but Mabel forced him to turn around, and lifted the back of his shirt.

"Woah, you alright?" Wendy said, her voice no longer casually amused.

"He won't tell me why he needs them!" Mabel complained. Dipper wrestled his shirt away from her and turned around.

"I, for one, demand to know," Wendy said, straightening up. "Dipper, spill." He sighed. When Wendy got like this, there was no denying her.

"Well...We couldn't outrun the avalanche for long," he sighed. "We tried to take shelter under a ledge beside the path that made a cave with the ground. We had to dive for it, and that's when you hit your head." Wendy winced.

"Was I really that lame?"

"No," Dipper said immediately. "We were running for our lives. I think we both get a free pass for that one."

"Keep going!" Mabel prompted. "Why do you need the bandages?"

"Well, uhm, when Wendy hit her head, she sorta...Passed out. I um, I pulled her under the ledge, but the avalanche was right there and would have come in after us. So I kinda lay in front of the cave entrance to stop the snow from getting in. I've got frostbite all over my back." He blushed furiously

"Woah," Mabel breathed.

"That, Dipper, is what us teenagers call 'hardcore'." Wendy's face was now grim. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah," he nodded stiffly. "They said it looked like someone had already treated it when I came in."

"Good," Wendy said, her expression relaxing. "Would you believe it? They're not going to let me out of here for another two weeks. They think I might do something stupid and hurt myself again. They're probably right, but I'm gonna go crazy by myself."

"We can come and see you!" Mabel exclaimed. "I can bring board games! We'd love to hang out, right Dipper?"

"Uh, yeah!" Dipper said quickly. "I mean, if you want us here."

"Heck yeah!" The redhead pumped her fist. "It's settled, then!"

* * *

The next week passed by in a blur. The twins spent most of the time with Wendy, laughing, talking, and generally being ridiculous and having fun. More than once, they had been chased out of Wendy's room by an angry nurse. It should have been the time of his life. Dipper couldn't have imagined a better seven days if he had tried. However, he felt wrong. A deep sadness had settled on his heart. Yes, he had saved Wendy, but they would have both died without the help of the monster-girl in the woods. It almost felt like lying, leaving out Abigail's part in the story.

He pondered this as he swept the floor of the Mystery Shack. It was closing time, with dinner soon to follow. As the broom swished across the ground, questions poured into his mind. "I wonder who she was," Dipper muttered. "And why she saved us. Did she grow up in the woods? Are there other monsters? Like a monster pack?"

As he brushed the dirt into a dustpan, he heard the phone ring in the house portion of the Shack. "Hello! Mystery Shack, Mabel speaking!" His sister's voice rang out. "Oh, hi, Wendy!" There was a pause. "Of course! I'll be over once I can get packed."

"What's going on, Mabel?" Dipper asked as she skipped into the gift shop.

"I'm going to visit Wendy!" Mabel grinned, showing her braces. "But you can't come. We're having a sleepover." Dipper shrugged.

"Whatever. Say hi for me." He walked back into the house, slipping upstairs before anyone could stop him. He sat down on his bed, wincing as his back pulled uncomfortably. It was considerably better but not fully healed. Dipper sighed and pulled a book from the inside of his vest. The cover sported a 6-fingered hand and the number 3. He flipped the book open. "Monster people, intelligent monsters," he muttered, flipping through the pages. Abigail had to be in the book somewhere.

As he scanned the text, he frowned. There was no mention of intelligent, furred, humanoid monsters anywhere in the journal. There was nothing at all that looked even vaguely like her. Dipper sighed, about to give up hope, when he turned one last page. There on the yellow paper was a detailed, ink drawing of a monster-woman with heavy fur, a long tail, rounded ears, and pawlike-hands. She was decorated with warpaint. Star emblems covered her arms. She held a curved dagger in one hand. On the bottom of the page was written a single phrase: "The Curse Of Sister Lion".

* * *

Mabel and Wendy sat in the hospital room eating pizza and watching a monster movie entitled "Atlantic Edge". They sat silently as the credits rolled. "Okay," Wendy said. "I think I've stalled long enough. I need to talk to you about your brother."

"I thought you'd NEVER ask," Mabel grinned. "I figured that was what this was about."

"Is he alright?"

"He got buried alive, almost froze to death, and managed to drag you back here. I think it's safe to assume he's NOT okay."

"Alright," Wendy said. "Let me rephrase. Is he upset with me?"

Mabel's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean? Why would he be upset with you?"

"So, he saved my life, right?" Wendy asked, trying to lead Mabel down her train of thought. "And we've all been hanging out and having a great time this week, right?" Mabel nodded, listening. "I don't know what I could have done, but he's not acting like he usually does. It's like he's only listening to half of anything I say."

"Yeah, he's been acting like that at home, too," the twin admitted, frowning. "I really don't know. He's lost in his own brain." She sighed.

* * *

Dipper's wide eyes stared at the drawing for a moment. He fumbled for the corner of the page. He turned it hopefully. Sure enough, on the other side of the drawing was a description. Running his finger under the words, he read aloud. "I found this image on the inside of a cave deep in the forest surrounding Gravity Falls. It was clearly ancient, perhaps thousands of years old, but the dye had not faded. Below it, inscribed in runes, was the story of a woman cursed to be a monster." He stopped. That was it. A woman who became a monster? How?

What did that mean for Abigail? He leaned back on his bed. Maybe she was a descendant of the monster-lady? Or- He sat straight up. Had she been cursed too?!

As soon as he thought it, he knew it was true. He got up, tucked the book back inside his vest, grabbed his empty backpack, and dashed downstairs. If she really had been cursed, she had to be tired of eating whatever she could forage. He dug through the pantry, placing a couple of cans of vegetables, a box of some kind of cookie, and - with trepidation - a can of Grunkle Stan's apocalypse-meat into his pack.

He was a half-mile into the woods when he remembered. Abigail had said not to come looking for her. "But that was probably because she didn't want to be reminded of humans," he reasoned. "And if I can find her again, maybe I can help. There's got to be something more about the curse, either in the book or in that cave it mentioned." He plunged deeper into the woods, trying to remember the path back.


	4. The Banished

"I should have brought a flashlight," Dipper muttered to himself as he hiked up the mountain. "I can't even see three yards ahead of me." Night had fallen at an alarming rate. He was wandering around in the dark, looking for a monster. He shook his head. "I'm acting like the stupid one in a horror movie." The moon was dim, and not much help.

"I may as well go back home," he sighed, but as he turned, he saw a light in the distance. It was orange-red and not too far away. He thought it might be a campfire. It took him only a few minutes to pick his way through the bracken around the light. It was a pond. A glowing pond. As he watched, it changed color, flickering to a soft blue. He stared, watching as the shade changed again to a lime green. Hesitantly, he skirted the edge of the pond, looking into its depths. There was something on the bottom. Little points stood up from the rocks on the pond floor.

He knelt, his hands placed firmly on the ground to steady himself, and leaned over to get a better look. The points weren't points at all. They were sculptures! Tiny animal figurines clustered along the bottom of the pond. Among them he saw a lioness, a raven, a wolf, a snake, and countless others. The pond shifted to a deep purple.

What were the figures made of? They looked like they had been whittled out of wood, but their surface shone like polished rock. He reached out tentatively, touching the liquid with one finger. He slowly lowered his hand into the icy water, his arms prickling with goosebumps. Carefully, the boy reached out for one of the tiny statues, an owl, with its wings arcing up over its head. Just as his hand closed around it, feeling its smooth surface, he heard someone cry out.

"Dipper, NO!" Something slammed into him, pinning him to the ground. He looked up in terror. It was Abigail. Her teeth were bared and her eyes were wild with - what? Anger? Fear? Desperation? Before he could make a guess, a sharp pain ripped through his fragile back. He screamed, his own voice ringing inside his head. His eyes slid shut, but not before he saw Abigail mouth the word "no". The pain continued. It felt like he was splitting apart. Two lines of white-hot fire seared into his back.

His voice was hoarse from shouting when it finally ended. He opened his eyes but did not try to sit up. He was lying on the ground in the same spot, looking up at the star-filled sky. "Dipper," Abigail spoke from somewhere outside his field of vision. Her words were tinged with sorrow. "I told you not to come back here."

"I...I read about the curse," he babbled, still not completely coherent. "The curse of Sister Lion...I thought I could help-"

"You shouldn't have come back!"

"But the curse. I thought I could help reverse the curse," he insisted wearily.

"There's more than one curse, Dipper!" Abigail shouted suddenly. "And now you're stuck too!"

"What?" He said dully.

"Sit up!" She snapped. "Just do it!"

The liongirl sounded so fierce that he struggled to obey. As he sat upright, he saw her sitting to his left, eyes ablaze with anger. "I'm sorry-" he began, but she motioned for his silence.

"Your curse is on your back," she spat. "Which animal did you touch? The raven? The eagle?"

Dipper's face betrayed his bewilderment. His back? Reaching over his shoulder, he felt something soft. He froze. He was suddenly aware of a prickling sensation near his spine.

Dipper yelped, suddenly understanding. He had wings, white, black-speckled wings, sprouting from just between his shoulder-blades. In his panic, he lashed out, nearly striking Abigail with one of the feathery appendages.

Her arm shot up, catching his flailing wing. "Calm down!" She said, the rage clearing from her face. "Sit still," she urged. Slowly he grew still. He was pale. His pupils had dilated in fear.

"What happened?" He squeaked, his voice breaking. "I-" he stopped, falling silent mid-sentence.

"Dipper?" Abigail asked nervously. He began to shiver, even though it was a warm summer night. He did not answer. "Dipper, you have to listen to me. You're going into shock. You need to snap out of it!" The fur on the back of her neck began to prickle.

He blinked once. "Talk to me, come on," Abigail urged. "Ask questions."

"What...Happened to me?" His glazed eyes stared straight ahead.

"You...You were cursed."

"But I have wings. Lions don't have wings."

"The curse comes from the pond," she said sadly. "You touched one of the little statues, and it cursed you."

"Is that why you're covered in fur?" He asked dully, as if he still couldn't comprehend what had happened. "You touched one?"

"Yeah," Abigail said.

"It was the lioness, wasn't it?" He pulled his hat from his head, turning it over in his hands. She nodded without speaking. "When did it happen?"

"Five years ago," she said, her words ringing hollowly. "It was my last summer before college, and I came to Gravity Falls with my parents to visit some friends before school. We were exploring the woods. Everyone else got tired and turned back. But I didn't want to leave. I stumbled across the pool and got curious. I wish every day I had just gone back inside."

"How old are you?" Life was starting to come back to Dipper's eyes. Abigail breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm 22. I've been out here since I was 17." This caught Dipper off-guard. She was older than he was for sure, and even older than Wendy.

"Why are you out here?" He pressed.

"I can't go home," she said. "Not like this. I would get shot, or they wouldn't believe it was me, or they would be horrified."

That thought had not yet occurred to Dipper. If she couldn't go home, that meant that HE couldn't go home either! The horror began to set in. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes. He didn't care if it wasn't manly, he allowed himself to cry. He could never go back home. He would never see Mabel or Grunkle Stan or Wendy ever again, not to mention his mom and dad. As he quietly sobbed, he felt something splash on his arm.

Looking up through tear-rimmed eyes, he saw that Abigail was crying too. "I..." she started, her breath coming in gasps. "I decided to stay here, near the pool, so that it couldn't harm anyone else. But I failed. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

The forest around them was dark, lit only by the color-changing water and the sliver of crescent moon overhead. The pair cried until they could not cry any more. Then, Dipper glanced up at the lioness. "So what do I do?" he asked. "Where do I go? I can't go home."

Abigail wiped her eyes with the back of her pawlike hand. "Well, for now you can stay here. You can figure out a plan in the morning," she offered.

"Right," he said, shifting his weight so he could stand. As he did so, he nearly fell over. The wings had changed his balance!

"Try folding them up?" Abigail suggested with a shrug. Dipper focused, trying to bring the white wings closer to his back. They folded. It almost felt like moving his arm and elbow, he realized. "Good," she nodded. "This way."

They walked up and over a ridge. Abigail approached an absolutely enormous tree and pushed a spot on the trunk. To Dipper's surprise, the trunk gave way! It hadn't been wood, but a curtain disguised to blend with the bark! She held the curtain back, motioning him through.

The inside of the tree had been carved out into a house. A slapdash cot sat near one side. A fireplace was built into another. A pile of animal skins was folded neatly at the foot of the cot. This was where she had taken him and Wendy after the avalanche. His memory was fuzzy from stress, but it was undoubtedly the same place.

Embers glowed in the fireplace. Abigail sighed, sitting down on the floor. "Take the bed," she said, pulling the furs out into a circular nest, She curled up in the middle, her hands folded like a cat's paws, and let her eyes slide shut.

Dipper pushed the door-curtain back again and looked up at the sky. The moon was high in its arc. It was past midnight. He was confused, scared, and sad. Running his hand over his forehead, he tried to lay down on the cot, only to find his wings got in the way. They pushed him up so that his head hung loose. After some frustration, he flipped onto his stomach and closed his eyes. He drifted into a fitful sleep.


	5. The Dream

Dipper's dreams were dark. He heard voices speaking to one another, but could not see the people they belonged to. "Alas, I must admit defeat," a man said. "You were right, Sister Lion, a fact I do not state lightly."

"Brother Owl," a woman answered back. "I do not make assertions unless I am very, very sure." The voice suddenly laughed. "But I do relish the moment of proving you wrong. Your champion shares your gift for analysis and action."

"I agree. He will be a useful avatar," the man said. "Only..."

"Only what?"

"I wish he wasn't so small. He is weak." The man sounded almost embarrassed.

"You can change that! I can help. My champion can train yours as I trained you, Brother Owl."

"That would be appreciated, Sister Lion, but I will need to augment his strength with my own, even after your training."

"Watch when you lend him your power," the woman warned. "Watch that he does not affect your judgement."

"You are right, Sister. I will be vigilant."

Suddenly, the voices faded out. Dipper moaned, sitting up shakily. His eyes opened. Oh. Right. He was in the tree. He couldn't go home. Light shone around the bottom of the curtain. The pile of fur was empty on the ground. Abigail must be outside.

Dipper stood and stretched, accidentally knocking his wing against the inside of the trunk. "Ow," he muttered, recoiling suddenly. He pushed past the curtain. Birds twittered overhead and leaves crackled beneath his feet as he walked outside.

"Dipper, over here," Abigail called. "I'm making breakfast!" She sat like a cat, with both hands on the ground in front of her, next to a ring of stones. In the ring, a fire burned. Over the fire, held by sharpened sticks, were small chunks of meat. "I know, not a usual breakfast, but you need protein to survive out here."

"'Morning," he said. Food. Huh. Wait, what about the food he had brought in the backpack? Where did his pack go, anyway? "I...I had a backpack when I came," he said. "Have you seen it?"

"No," she said, surprised. "It must still be over by the pool. You know how to find it, right? These are almost done and I don't want them to burn."

"Yeah, it's just back there?" Dipper asked. At the lioness's nod, he hiked back over the ridge. He spotted the pack immediately. It was right near the edge. His pine tree hat was right next to it. "I didn't even know my hat was gone," he muttered. He reached for the backpack. The straps were torn in two! They must have ripped apart when the wings sprouted from his back. He picked up the hat and dusted it off.

Dipper turned to leave, but then caught a glimpse of himself in the pond. His wings were partially extended, fanning out three feet on either side of his body. Two or three white feathers stuck out from in his hair. To his astonishment, his human appearance had changed a little too. He was closer to wiry than noodly; faint lines were carved into his arms where muscles grew. "I'm still short though," he muttered. Yesterday, he would have traded anything to be a little stronger. Now, he just wanted to go home.

Gripping part of the bag's broken handle, he trudged back to the firepit. He threw the bag to the ground, yanked the baseball cap over his hair, and unzipped the main pouch in the backpack. "I brought these," he said, pulling out the canned food. "I meant to give them to you."

Her eyes went wide in astonishment. "All of that? I haven't seen food like that in forever!"

"It's just canned food," he said.

"I haven't been in civilization for five years," she reminded him. "Even canned food is a big deal. What did you bring?" He showed her the labels, warning her about the apocalypse meat.

"We can either save it, or have some later," he shrugged.

"We'll figure it out," Abigail nodded. She deftly plucked the sticks of meat from the fire with her claws and passed one to Dipper, who promptly burned himself biting into it.

"So," he said, "I can stay here?"

"Of course," she said, her tail wrapping around her feet. "Although, I will warn you, living out here is no picnic."

"I'll learn," he said. He swallowed a bite of meat. He wasn't sure what it was. It tasted like chicken, but had a different texture. It was bland, but his stomach was glad for it.

"Hey Abigail-"

"You can just call me Abby, it's easier," she offered.

"Okay then, Abby," Dipper grinned. "Have you ever heard of someone called Brother Owl?"

Her face suddenly drained of color. "Where did you hear that name?"

"In a dream," he said. "Last night."

"Brother Owl," Abby said, her voice suddenly hoarse. "Is the one who cursed you. Of course, why didn't I see it earlier? Your wings, they're snowy owl wings."

"Wait-" Dipper said. "You mean, a person is behind the curse? Not just the magic pond?"

"Several people," Abigail said, her ears flattened to her head. "I don't know who they all are, I don't know what they are, but there are a lot of them. One for each statue in the pond."

"In my dream, Brother Owl was talking to Sister Lion."

"The one who cursed me," she said bitterly. "I used to dream about her talking. Talking to me. It actually kept me sane for a few years. But then the dreams just stopped."

They sat in morbid silence for a moment before Abby stood. "Want me to show you which plants are edible?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah," Dipper said, pushing to his feet.

"Wendy! Wendy!" Mabel's shrill cries made the redhead jump in surprise. "Wake up!"

"What-" she sat up, moaning. "Mabel, what's wrong?" It was mid-morning, judging by the light coming in through the window. Mabel's sleeping bag was in a lumpy pile on top of an armchair across the room.

"Grunkle Stan just called! He said Dipper disappeared!" The hysterical twin was sobbing into the sleeves of her sweater before Wendy could even blink.

"Woah, Mabel, calm down. What happened?" The teen felt color drain from her face. Something was seriously wrong.

"Dipper is gone. He was missing when Grunkle Stan came home last night," Mabel sniffed. "I...I have to go home. I have to go help look for him!"

"I'm coming too," Wendy said. "You head on back. I'll get changed and then head over."

"NO! You have to stay here so you don't get hurt again!" Mabel insisted.

"But Dipper's missing! That's more important."

"If you get up, I'll call the nurses on you," she threatened darkly. Her tearstained eyes made her look wild.

"Fine. I'll stay. But you had better call me with updates, Mabel Pines!"


	6. The Mission

[Author's Notes: I like Mama Bear characters, in case you can't tell. It means a lot that you want to hear more of my story. I've never had anyone ask to read more of my work before! Thanks for all the comments so far. I appreciate all constructive or encouraging feedback.

**Tazmanian Devil**: I actually had a scene like your suggestion planned from the very beginning! Haha, I guess great minds think alike. I don't have a regular update schedule, but I upload my chapters almost as soon as I finish writing them.]

* * *

Wendy sat next to the phone, twitching at every tiny sound. Soos had come by later to let her know what was going on. Almost the entire town had set out to search. The folks in Gravity Falls might not have cared for Stan, but they recognized the severity of a missing child. Wendy's dad, Manly Dan, had gone to help the search effort. He had been able to track Dipper into the woods, but before he could follow it all the way, rain began to pour from the sky. Any signs of the boy had been washed away in the shower.

Mabel was a wreck, Soos had said. Her friends, Candy and Grenda, were with her, but the handyman didn't seem to think they were helping any. "I've never seen her so sad," Soos had mumbled, looking down at the ground. Wendy tried to fight back the pangs of sadness that struck her own heart. The twins were her friends. One was missing, the other heartbroken, and Wendy couldn't do anything about it. She just wanted out of this stupid hospital, to be done with this stupid concussion, to be looking for Dipper.

"If I had been the one tracking him, I would have found him," she said fervently. "No offense to Dad, but I've always been better at tracking." She waited another ten minutes. Still nothing. It was getting late. The clock read 9:00 in angry blinking numerals. Tired of waiting, she reached for the phone and dialed the Mystery Shack. "Hey, Soos, any news?" she asked. Her heart sank. No. "Put Mr. Pines on for me, okay?" Wendy drummed her fingers, waiting.

"Hey Mr. Pines, I heard Mabel's not doing so well. Would it help if she stayed with me while the search is going on?" She paused. "Alright, send her over whenever she's packed." At least she could be of some comfort to Dipper's twin.

It wasn't long before Mabel arrived. "Hey sister," Wendy said, "Thanks for coming to hang out with me! I was getting so bored!"

"I know you just called me here to get me out of the way," she pouted.

Wendy was taken aback. "No, I called you here because you're upset, and I'm upset, and I thought we could both be upset together."

"I think I'm okay with that," Mabel said sulkily.

"Good," Wendy nodded.

"Can I stay until we find my brother?" Mabel asked, her eyes dull and glazed over.

"Of course."

* * *

Wendy and Mabel waited for a call. They waited for days. There was no sign of Dipper. One day, police officers came to talk to Mabel. Wendy found out later they had told her Dipper was probably gone for good.

Wendy had pulled Mabel into a hug, and the two girls had cried until there was nothing left. "I...Wouldn't I feel it if he died?!"

"I don't know, Mabel," Wendy said, ruffling the younger girl's hair. "But I'm going to help you find him."

Wendy was released from the hospital. She and Mabel left together. They went straight to the Mystery Shack. Mabel lead her upstairs to the attic where she and Dipper slept. Wendy didn't remember ever coming up here. "Will you stay?" Mabel whimpered.

"Yeah," Wendy said. "I will." Mabel nodded, and then curled up on Dipper's bed.

"I'll sleep here," she whispered. "You can take my bed." Wendy sat down, set her backpack on the floor, and buried her face in her hands.

* * *

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS ACTUALLY WORKS!" Dipper exclaimed, trying to focus as the earth fell and rose. "Ahahaha!" he cheered.

"Keep flapping!" Abigail shouted, but she grinned from ear to ear. Dipper was flying six feet in the air, just under the lowest tree branches.

"This...This is awesome!" Two weeks had passed. Two weeks since this whole mess started. Today, he had finally worked up the courage to try his wings.

"Dude! You're flying!" Abby laughed.

"I- I've gotta come back down!" He panted, trying to hover in place. His huge, white wings churned the air. Muscles in his chest and back burned with every flap. He slowed down, tumbling to the ground. "Ohhh," he moaned. "Man, that was awesome."

Abby offered him a hand, pulling him up. "That WAS awesome! I can't believe how fast you were going!"

"Yeah! It was great!" He was so fast, even the liongirl couldn't run fast enough to catch him. eyes widened in realization. "I could escape anyone. I bet I could get food and supplies from the Mystery Shack before anyone could spot me!"

"Dipper-" Abigail started. "No!"

"Look, I'll just go back to the Shack, get food, grab some more clothes, maybe some blankets or tools, and come right back! I'll go at night, when everyone's asleep!"

"Dipper, that's stealing," Abby frowned.

"They would let me have it if they knew I needed it," he argued.

"But what if you get caught?" Her ears flattened.

"I won't get caught. Let me go back just once? To say goodbye to the Shack?" His eyes were sad

Abigail sighed. "I can't stop you. Just be careful, okay?"

* * *

His plan was simple. He would let himself in through the attic window. The lock was easy to jimmy open. From there, he would slip down to the pantry, grab some food, and then get blankets and extra clothes on his way out. Abigail had walked him down to the edge of the woods. "Good luck," she said, stepping nervously back and forth. "Shout if you need some help, alright?"

"Don't worry," he said, trying to smile. "I've got this." He unfurled his wings and launched into the air.

He landed silently, gripping the windowframe. He slipped the lock. He pulled his wings in tight and crawled into the room. He glanced over, expecting to see Mabel sleeping silently. To his astonishment, he saw red hair falling over the edge of the pillow. "Wendy?" he mouthed noiselessly. He whipped around. Mabel was in his bunk, her arms wrapped so tightly around his pillow that he was scared it was going to burst open and send feathers flying. He didn't understand.

Dipper stumbled downstairs, determined not to think about it until his mission was complete. He began to fill his pack.

* * *

"WENDY!" Mabel hissed, shaking her shoulder. "Wendy! Get up! I...I saw an angel!"

"Huh?" Wendy blinked drowsily, sitting up slowly. "An angel? Where? What?"

"Shush," Mabel said urgently. "Come on, the window, quickly!" she dragged her over to the sill. "You might scare it away."

Wendy squinted for a moment, not sure where to look. Then she saw it. A figure with wings in the sky. It was remarkably near the house.

* * *

Dipper flew in a slow arc around the house, trying to convince himself to leave. He carried his broken backpack, filled to the brim with canned food. Finally, he turned his back on the Shack, diving for a gap in the trees.

* * *

Wendy studied the angel as it looped once and then plummeted to the treeline below. Just before it vanished into the forest, a shaft of moonlight shone on its face. Her jaw dropped. She saw the features clearly. It was Dipper.


	7. The Redhead

[Author's Comments: Gah, didn't realize that this chapter was so long until I went to upload it. Could you all let me know if the story's getting a bit Wendy-heavy? I'm not sure if the focus has fallen too much on her.

Also, I would appreciate any comments/criticisms on Abigail. I know how annoying it is to read fanfiction with poorly written OCs, and I want to avoid that mistake myself.]

* * *

It took Wendy forever to coax Mabel back to Dipper's bunk. "Do you think-" the twin had yawned. "The angel is looking for Dipper too?"

"No, kiddo," she said. "I think the angel knows exactly where Dipper is."

"And maybe he'll bring Dipper home," Mabel's eyes slid shut.

"Maybe he will, kid," Wendy whispered. She sat back on the empty bed, her feet drawn up and arms wrapped around her knees, waiting for her small friend to fall asleep. Once Mabel was breathing slowly, Wendy grabbed a backpack tagged 'W. Corduroy' from the floor and slipped down the hall. She changed in the bathroom, swapping her long-sleeve pajamas for her jeans and flannel shirt.

Tugging her hat back on over her head, she put her backpack in front of the attic door. Wendy took a moment to scribble out a note to Mabel and Mr. Pines. "Went to go find Mabel's angel. I'll be back soon. -W"

She would travel light, with only her phone, pocket knife, and flashlight. Tucking the items into her pockets, she sneaked downstairs and outside. "I won't come back without Dipper," she told herself. "Whatever's happened to him. Mabel needs her brother." She paused, and added impulsively on to her statement. "And I need my friend."

* * *

"Abby!" Dipper hissed, dropping to the ground. He clutched the bag of loot tightly.

"Yeah?" A voice whispered as Abby's form melted out of the darkness.

"Ah!" Dipper jumped back, startled.

"Woah, it's just me, relax!" She said. "Did you get the stuff?"

"I did," Dipper nodded. The boy swallowed hard. "Let's go back to the tree." He pushed past Abigail and hiked deeper into the forest.

"Oh no," Abby sighed. "Dipper, what happened?" He didn't answer. "Dipper?"

"Stop asking me, Abigail," he panted, trying to outwalk her.

"I won't," she said. "You are clearly not okay."

"Just-" Dipper looked back at her. Abby's heart twinged in sympathy. Despair was written all over his face.

"Come on, back to the tree," she said sharply. "You can tell me when we get there. Here, I'll carry the pack." She took the bag from him and started up the path.

The tree loomed out of the night. The pool glimmered brightly past the ridge. Abigail ducked under the door curtain, holding it up so Dipper could enter. She sat on the pile of fur, unzipped the backpack, and began pulling out the goods. Settled on the top were a couple sets of clothes for Dipper. She stacked them on the cot as he sat down. His eyes were dark and hollow.

"Dipper, what happened?" she asked again, folding up two wrinkled blankets.

"I went in through the attic window-" he started.

"That was your room, wasn't it?" Abby asked.

"Y-how did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Abigail said, trying to cover up her slip of the tongue.

"Anyway, I went in. I expected to see Mabel, my twin sister, asleep there."

"You have a twin?" During the two weeks Dipper had been out here, he had avoided speaking of his family.

"Yeah," Dipper nodded. "She's actually the oldest."

"Go on," Abby nodded.

"So I looked over to her bunk, but she wasn't there."

The lion-girl studied his face, guessing from his expression. "But someone else was?"

"Wendy was." His voice cracked as he said her name.

"Wendy Corduroy? You mean that little redheaded girl?" Abigail's eyes bugged.

"She's a teenager, older than I am," Dipper said, shocked. "But yeah. Do you know her?"

"I stayed in Gravity Falls before I found the pool, remember? She was a little ten-year-old girl with bright red ponytails. Her dad was a lumberjack, I think? Was it that Wendy Corduroy?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "The girl you saved from the avalanche."

"That was Wendy Corduroy?" Now it was Abigail's turn to be astonished. "She was such a nerdy kid!"

"Really?"

"Now, wait, why would she be in the Shack?"

"I..I don't know. I mean, she works there as a cashier..." he trailed off.

"Dipper," she said. Her intuition told her there was more to this than he let on. "Do you like Wendy?" He opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off. "I mean LIKE like."

"Why would you ever think that?" Dipper laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Because you nearly killed yourself trying to save her, and you almost had a heart attack seeing her in your house," the lioness said flatly. "It's okay. You can tell me. It's not like I'm going to go spread it around Gravity Falls," she grinned.

"You're right. Yeah, I've pretty much liked Wendy since I met her. She's amazing." He stared at his sneakers. His face burned red.

The cot moved slightly beneath him. Abby was sitting next to him. "I'm sorry, man," she said, putting one hand on his shoulder.

"I never had a chance with her," he said hoarsely. "She's so much older than I am. She'd never like some kid."

"I had a crush like that once too," Abigail said suddenly. "I was twelve. He was sixteen. His name was Gage. He was funny, brave, smart, AND gorgeous. Even better, he took me seriously."

"What happened?" Dipper asked, the mute despair still fogging his eyes.

"Nothing. I liked him all through middle school. But there was nothing to be done. He was so much older, and already had a girlfriend. Man, she was a jerk."

The girl sounded suspiciously like a female version of Robbie.

"When I finally reached high school, he headed off for college. I didn't see him again until..."

"Until what?" It was a relief to hear the similarity of her problem.

"Until his parents brought him to Gravity Falls that summer," she said mournfully.

"Oh." There was a long pause. "Do you still like him?"

"Yep."

"I'm sorry, Abby." The boy pulled the unsuspecting liongirl into a hug. She smiled to herself and hugged him back.

"And I'm sorry, Dipper." She stood up. "I'm sorry you're stuck out here, but it's nice to have a friend."

Abigail slipped out of the tent. She didn't want the boy to see the tears that were sliding down her face.

* * *

"Dipper?" Wendy called. The flashlight shone ahead of her. The woods were dark and angry at night. She couldn't help but shiver every time she remembered the last time she had been here. "Dipper, where are you? Please, I don't know what's happened to you, but you need to come back!" Stepping over a tangle of tree roots, she saw a bright blue glow in the distance.

She picked up her pace. "Dipper! Dipper! Please just come home!" Wendy couldn't keep the desperation from her voice. "Mabel needs you!"

* * *

Abby's solitude was interrupted by sudden shouts. A girl was screaming Dipper's name into the night. She dashed back to the tree in panic. "Dipper!" She barked, roughly shoving past the curtain. "There's a girl out there shouting your name."

Perplexed, he studied her face. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying. "Abby, are you alright?"

"That's beside the point, Dipper, someone's coming!" she growled.

"Okay," he said, his heart beating nervously. Abigail was clearly frightened.

He stepped outside, listening.

"Dipper!"

The voice was distinct. He dove back into the tree, pulling Abby to the far side. "It's Wendy!" His voice cracked.

"What do you want me to do?" Abigail asked. "I've got to go out there and keep her from touching the statues in the pond!"

"Don't tell her I'm here and don't hurt her!" Dipper said.

"Right," she nodded, drying her eyes with the back of her paw. Once the liongirl left, Dipper sat on the floor, wrapping his wings tightly around his body. If he didn't move and didn't speak, Wendy wouldn't know he was here. Wendy wouldn't see him like this.

* * *

"Dipper?" Wendy called halfheartedly, distracted by the color-shifting pond. She squinted, trying to make out what the little points on the bottom were.

"Get back!" Something to her left roared. Wendy's head snapped up towards the voice. She stopped dead in her tracks. It was a beast. A huge, furry monster. "Get away from the pool!"

Wendy scrambled back, the flashlight clattering out of her hand. She pulled out her pocketknife, flicking the blade out. "I'm looking for a boy!" Wendy said. "He's twelve, about this tall," she motioned with her free hand. "Last I saw him, he had wings. I'm not sure why or how but he did. Have you seen him?"

"Leave my land!" the creature bellowed, swelling to its full height. "Now!"

"His name is Dipper," Wendy pressed. Her hands were trembling in fear. "Have you seen him?"

Dipper heard the shouting clearly. Every word Wendy said made him feel worse.

"Leave," the monster hissed, its calm voice more terrifying than its shouts. "Or I shall force you to do so."

"Wait," she said suddenly. The monster had not attacked her. It had not attacked despite her continued presence. Only two people in her entire life could befriend monsters, and one was asleep in the Mystery Shack. What if- "Dipper!" she shouted. "Dipper! I know you're here! Please, Dipper! Come out!"

Dipper's heart plummeted.

"It's no use hiding! If you don't come out right now, I'll call for help and we'll find you anyway!" Wendy's voice was indignant, but she was just trying to mask her worry.

"He doesn't want to see you right now," the monster snapped. "Don't you get it?"

"Go away, Wendy." Dipper's voice was small, but carried from the opening in the tree trunk.

"Dude! Come on!" Now Wendy was angry. "Everyone in town thinks you're dead! Do you KNOW how messed up your sister is right now?"

"Look, he told you to go away," the creature said, maneuvering itself between Wendy and the pond.

"No! I'm not leaving. I won't go until you come out and face me, Dipper Pines! I won't go until you look me in the eye and say you're just going to ditch your family and friends!"

"I know you just hit your head pretty badly, but if you don't walk away now, I'm going to have to make you do so." The monster seemed almost rational.

"Please Wendy, just go," Dipper begged. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. "I don't want you to see me like this."

Debating heavily for a moment, Wendy bit her lip in frustration. "Fine," she spat, enraged. "Be that way. I WILL leave." She stomped away into the undergrowth.

"It's okay," Abby explained to Dipper later. "She won't be able to find this place later. It looks totally different in the daytime, and judging by the way she's walking, she's too frustrated to remember how she got here at night."

Wendy trudged back to the Mystery Shack, muttering under her breath. Every few steps, she cut a marker into a tree with her pocketknife.

* * *

"Oh, Brother Owl! I have found my champion at last!"

"Sister Fox, no!"

"Are you sure, Brother Owl? She is fiery and cunning. She would be a good champion."

"No, she is not suited to your service, Sister Fox."

"Why, Brother Owl, are you sure you aren't letting your champion's affections get in the way of our game? No, she will be a good champion. Perhaps my best in many games."


	8. The Confrontation

[Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! This is essentially a double-length chapter that I couldn't split into smaller pieces.]

* * *

Wendy got back to the house at around 3 in the morning. She hauled herself upstairs, muttering angrily under her breath. The backpack still sat in front of the attic. She crumpled the note that sat atop it. She didn't want Mabel to know about the excursion into the woods until Dipper was safe and home. Too exhausted and angry to do anything else, she staggered back to bed. As she drifted off to sleep, she struggled to understand why Dipper wouldn't come home.

* * *

"You want to find him," a voice whispered in Wendy's ear. She couldn't see anything. Her surroundings were black."You want to bring him back home. For his sister, of course."

"Who's there?" Wendy asked nervously.

"At least, that's what you tell yourself. You're just having trouble admitting you want him back as badly as she does. He's your friend. Go again to the pool today. Ten yards to the left, there is a tree as big around as three of your armspans. Press on the walls of the trunk until you find the entrance to the hollow inside. Wait there, and you will find him."

* * *

The next morning was silent. A gloom seemed to settle over both cursed humans. Abby could see her young friend was hurting very badly from the incident the night before. "Peaches or pineapple for breakfast?" She asked, trying to sound cheery.

"It doesn't matter," he said dully.

"I'm thinking pineapple," she said. She picked up the labeled can and worked her claw around the rim. She fished a chunk out and tossed it into her mouth. As she extended the can to her friend, her ears twitched up suddenly. "Do you hear that?" Abby asked as Dipper scooped a piece of pineapple out with his fingers.

"Hear what?" he said around the fruit.

"That," she said, ears twitching again.

"Wait-" he said as he swallowed. "Yeah, yeah I do! What is it?"

"Salamanders," Abby said definitively. Her face went pale.

"Salamanders?" Dipper's hand shot to his vest pocket. He pulled out the journal with the six-fingered hand, flipping furiously through the information. "I remember reading about those!" He lay the book open to the correct page. On it was a detailed sketch of a wet, slimy-looking lizard surrounded by fire. He scanned the words next to the picture.

"Salamanders burn everything they touch. They can walk through fire unscathed. They are mindless and destructive."

"Come on," Abigail said, putting the can on the floor of the tree-room. Dipper followed her outside without a word. He slipped off his vest and left it at the base of the tree. Abby had helped him cut holes in the back of his t-shirt to allow his wings to extend. He reached out with his feathers, taking a running leap into the air.

Abigail shifted forward, running on all fours. She bounded over a fallen tree, crashing through the woods at top speed. Dipper wound his way through the branches, keeping as close as possible to his feline friend. It didn't take them long to find the giant lizards. They were about four feet long and as thick around as Dipper's torso. Each was surrounded by a halo of fire.

"They're headed to the town!" Abby called up to him, struggling to be heard over the roar of the flames. "We have to turn them back, or they'll burn Gravity Falls to the ground!"

* * *

Wendy had slept too late. When she woke, it was noon. She glanced over to Dipper's side of the room. Mabel was gone. She sat up, realizing she still had on her jeans and flannel. Her hat lay on the floor next to the bed. She felt something stab her hip as she swung her legs off of the bed. It was her folded-up pocketknife, wedged uncomfortably in her front pocket. She stood, stretched her stiff limbs, and slipped downstairs.

Dipper couldn't hide forever. She WOULD track him down. She remembered the bizarre dream she had had the following evening. Someone had told her to look for a secret door in the trunk of a giant tree near the pond. "It was probably just some trippy dream," she said to herself. "But it won't hurt to go up there and see if I can find the little jerk. I wonder what that monster was. Werewolf, maybe? How did he train a werewolf?"

Now was not the time to tell Mabel that Dipper was alive. That fact would just hurt the little girl. No, Wendy couldn't say anything until he was home. She ducked into the pantry to grab some bread for breakfast. Mr. Pines had been surprisingly gracious a host, telling her to get whatever food she wanted, when she wanted it. He hadn't been seen much since his great-nephew vanished. The old man seemed as distraught as Mabel, hiding away in the museum portion of the shack.

She looked down. The shelf that had been filled with canned goods the day before was empty. "What?" She murmured. Then she understood. "That's why Dipper was outside," she grumbled. "He was stealing food."

She stuffed a slice of bread into her mouth, secured the bread bag with a twist tie, and escaped out the front door of the Mystery Shack. Approaching the woods, she smirked. The slashes she had cut in the trees would guide her back to the rainbow pond.

It took her only half an hour to find the spot again. She had zig-zagged a bit after losing the trail of marked trees but found it again quickly. There was the pond, the shelf-ridge, and beyond it, an enormous tree. Wendy kept silent. If she had to sneak up on Dipper, she would. Hesitantly, she made her way toward the huge tree trunk. It couldn't hurt to listen to her dream, could it?

She poked the bark halfheartedly, letting out an involuntary sound of surprise as the side of the tree caved in! She pushed on it again. A curtain! A curtain was hanging in front of a hollow in the tree. Inside was a pile of animal furs, an ash-filled, unlit fireplace, a cot, and several cans of food including an open can of pineapple. In the middle of the floor, open to a page with a sketch on it, was a worn book.

She stepped forward, her foot catching on something as she entered. A navy blue piece of fabric was caught on her shoe. Dipper's vest. So this is where he was hiding last night! Her frustration with the boy surged again. She sat down on the cot, arms crossed. "Well, whoever you are, I'm waiting. If Dipper doesn't show up, I'm blaming you!"

* * *

"This isn't working!" Dipper shouted, swooping upward out of a dive-bomb.

"No kidding!" Abby cried back. "The pool is the nearest source of water. Think we can lure them there somehow?"

"If we make them mad enough!" the winged boy said. He coughed as smoke surrounded him. Flight was not beneficial in this scenario.

"How do we do that?" The forest burned around Abigail. Twice, her fur caught fire. She managed to stamp it out before she was injured, but the acrid smell of burned hair hung in a fog around her.

"Champion!" Dipper heard someone whisper in his ear. "Open your mind! You know what to do, now take my strength!"

He felt a sudden surge of power flow through his veins. It wasn't just adrenaline. No, this was something much more intense. He instinctively dove down towards the salamanders, his wings flaring open. He swung his wings forward, sending an enormous gust of wind at the lizards. The burst of air extinguished the fire blazing from the salamanders' backs. Dipper shifted in midair, coming crashing down feet-first on a salamander head.

The soles of his sneakers began to melt against the creature's skin. Dipper launched upward again, his wings churning as the salamanders struggled to relight their fire. "Hah!" Abby laughed. "Nice shot!"

"Young Owl does well," a voice hissed in her ear. "But let us help him." Something suddenly snapped in Abigail's head. A sensation of utter awareness flooded her systems. Every leap of the flames, every minute moment of her body was obvious. She darted in at once, lashing out with her claws. Deftly avoiding the fire, she slashed the second salamander's face.

The salamanders were angry. They turned away from Gravity Falls, intending to attack the two humans. "That's it!" Dipper called. "Come and get us!"

"You call that fire?" Abby taunted. "I've seen worse in an oven!"

The lizards did not comprehend the shouting, but ran forward at an astonishing speed. Abigail shifted to all fours again, her claws digging into the dirt for traction as she ran. Dipper weaved through the forest as low to the ground as he could manage. Surprising himself, he laughed loudly. This was the most fun he'd had in ages!

* * *

Wendy heard the approaching fire before she saw it. A crackling, roaring sound caught her attention. She poked her head out of the tree-hollow. Smoke filled the air. She coughed once. Orange flames glowed on the horizon.

Wait, was that- Yes. Running before the flames, a grin of exhilaration on her furred features, was the speaking monster who had threatened her the night before. Wendy was forced into a moment of split-second decision: run to escape the fire and risk the creature's wrath, or stay hidden and hope the tree could withstand the oncoming fire.

She was about to make a run for it when she saw something else. No, someone else. Flying in the air above the monster was Dipper. Long, white wings reached out from his shoulders. A mad smile covered his face.

Everything about this scene seemed so unreal. Inside the fire writhed two shapes like legged snakes. By the time Wendy could collect her thoughts, it was too late to run. The tongues of flame had almost reached the tree! "Hyah!" she heard Dipper's voice explain. He was almost directly overhead, his line of sight trained on the wall of fire. He flapped his wings with such force that the air thrummed with a resounding "CRACK!" The gust of wind that followed completely extinguished the fire. Two lizards stood, black with glowing coal eyes, in what would have been the heart of the fire.

* * *

"Come on, uglies," Abigail hissed. "too scared to fight without your pilot light?"

"Almost there!" Dipper said. The pool was within his line of sight now. He and Abby ran the last few yards. "Now what?" He shouted.

"Use the water!" Abigail shouted, using her tail to spray water from the surface of the pond. Hissing steam rose from the salamanders. Following her example, he plunged his wings into the still-glowing pool. They instantly grew heavier, but the dramatic power was still surging in his body. He flared his wings forward, showering the lizards with rain.

The two lizards collapsed, horrible squeaking noises coming from their throats. Within seconds, they grew utterly still. Instantaneously, their bodies disappeared, becoming piles of ash.

Covered in sweat and scorch marks, the two fighters giggled quietly for a moment before dissolving into hysterical, adrenaline-boosted laughter. Abby sank to the ground as Dipper shook off his soaking feathers. He started to sit down, but then froze.

"What is it, bro?" Abigail asked. "More of them?" She turned to follow his gaze. She felt her face fall. Standing on the ridge of the hill was none other than Wendy Corduroy.

Suddenly breaking his trance, Dipper's face drained of color. He darted behind Abby. She straightened up to shield him, her arms held back to better hide him from view. "Go away," Abby said, staring Wendy down.

"Not until I've talked to Dipper," Wendy said shakily. She was still shell-shocked from watching the battle. Her hands trembled as she took another step forward.

"Stay where you are," Abigail warned, a low, thrumming growl rising in her throat. Wendy didn't listen. She took another nervous step.

"Wendy-" Dipper spoke. The redhead froze. "I don't want you to-"

"Dude, I already saw. When you were taking down those lizards." Her voice quavered. "Please, just- Just come talk?"

Abigail glanced over her shoulder at the lad, waiting for him to signal her. He gave a barely discernible nod. Abby stepped to one side. She walked out of earshot, keeping a line of sight on them both, and sat down, tail wrapped around her paws.

* * *

Wendy sat about a yard in front of Dipper. He had wrapped his wings around his body so he didn't have to see her face.

"Hey, Dip," she said.

"What?" He said dully.

"How'd you tame a werewolf?" She asked, trying to crack a smile.

"Lion. Not wolf. And I didn't. She's a person. You don't tame people. She's just cursed." The boy's words were muffled by the feathers. Wendy didn't understand what he was implying until he spoke again. "Like me."

"Dipper?" Wendy quietly edged closer.

"Will you go away now that you've seen?"

"No," Wendy said. She slid closer again, careful not to make a sound.

"Please just go," he begged. His voice was strained. "Please, Wendy."

She slid forward again. Before Dipper could react, she reached out and lightly grabbed the top edges of his wings. She gently pushed them down, giving him plenty of opportunity to resist. As the wings slid back, his face came into view. His hair was matted, there was ash smeared on his cheek, and his eyes were tearstained.

"Are you crying, dude?" Wendy asked. Her voice was void of her usual mocking tone. She was genuinely concerned.

"I asked you to leave," he said, defeated. "I didn't want you to see me like this."

"What," Wendy said, choosing her next words carefully. "Flying with a werewol-lion, fighting flaming reptiles?" She met his gaze, even though he tried not to make eye contact.

He sniffled and smiled a bit. "No, I meant the wings."

"What's wrong with them? So something crazy happened and now you've got wings. No big." She shrugged. Dipper stared at her, dumbfounded. "Come on, it's not like we haven't seen weirder stuff in this town."

Wendy did have a point, but he still wasn't convinced. "But-" he started to pull his wings away from her hands and hide himself again.

"Dude. Really?" Wendy was fast losing her patience. "Stop. Stop right there. Do you know what's going on back home? When you went missing, the entire town went out looking for you."

"They did?" Dipper thought most of Gravity Falls hated him.

"Stan has been hiding for the last two weeks. He CLOSED the Mystery Shack. As in, no visitors, no tours, no money." What? Stan closed the Shack? "But Mabel is taking it the hardest. She's so quiet." Wendy's eyes grew misty. Mabel's silence was eerie and wrong. "She misses you. She's so worried."

They sat there for a moment. A breeze swept by, stirring the salamander ashes.

"So are you going to tell me how it happened?" Wendy pressed.

"I'm sorry, Wendy. I lied to you." Dipper took a deep breath. Without warning, he began to pour out his story. "I didn't save you from the avalanche. I tried, but I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't get us out."

"What do you mean, kiddo?" she asked. "We were fine when I woke up."

"Abigail saved us," he said, glancing at the werelion who watched in the distance.

"Abigail?" Wendy asked, turning to look as well. The werelion's tailtip twitched as if waving at them.

"She found us buried in the snow and brought us to the tree. She gave me some medicine for my back and then helped me bring you to the Mystery Shack." He wouldn't meet her eyes now. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I would have told the truth, Wendy, honest, but she didn't want anyone knowing she lived out here."

"Dude, look at my face," Wendy ordered. Dipper hesitantly obeyed. "Do I look like I'm angry?"

"No," he said quietly.

"Then we're cool, right?" she said. "Right?"

"Right," he sighed.

"So, your lion friend saves us, we go back to the Shack. Obviously else something happened after that."

"This is going to be hard to explain," Dipper paused. "I...I found this book at the beginning of Summer. It talks about all kinds of monsters and creatures that live out here in the woods. I went and looked through the book for an entry on Abigail. I was curious, because most of the monsters I've encountered are angry, dangerous, and would rather eat you than save you from an avalanche. When I found her in the book, it said she wasn't a monster at all. It said she was cursed."

Wendy's eyes widened. She suddenly understood. "You tried to find her again and investigate, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I was wandering around in the woods and found that pond over there. It had little carvings all over the bottom. Magic carvings," he said dryly. "I made the mistake of touching one."

"Note to self," Wendy muttered. "Stay away from the pond."

"That's why I look like this," he said.

"Like you just won a fight?" she grinned.

'That's why I can't go home," he said, giving her a reproachful look.

Wendy stood up and brushed the dirt from her jeans. "C'mon," she said, offering a hand to Dipper. "We've got some plans to make. We're going to figure out how to break this curse and send you home." Dipper gladly took her hand, pulling himself up onto his feet. "Woah!" Wendy took a step back.

"What is it?" he asked in confusion.

"Dude, look!" she said, gesturing to him.

Dipper didn't understand what she meant until he looked back up at her. He suddenly realized that he didn't have to tilt his head up nearly as far. He glanced down at himself again. He was taller than before by about six inches!

"I told you, Champion," he heard someone breathe in his ear. "I will make you stronger."


	9. The Fox

**[Author's Note: Apologies for the delay. I've had a rough couple of weeks and haven't been able to write. Please feel free to critique my work. I'm still struggling with a few details that don't seem to be quite right.]**

* * *

"Wendy, this is Abigail," Dipper said, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. He wanted to scrub away all traces of his breakdown. Heat rose to his face as he realized what an idiot he had made of himself.

"Hey," the redhead smiled, "Dipper said you saved our bacon during the avalanche. Thanks." She reached out a hand.

"Call me Abby," the lioness grinned, shaking Wendy's hand.

"Abby?" A perplexed expression flitted across the redhead's face. "You're not Abby from the arcade? Abby Wallace?"

Abby grinned an uncharacteristically smug grin. "The very one!"

"So this is where you went!" Wendy said, horror-stricken.

"Yeah," Abby's voice faltered. "It's okay though, now that I've got some people to talk to!" Her face brightened again.

"Thanks for helping Dipper out."

"Not a problem," Abigail nodded. "You've got good taste in friends."

* * *

Wendy had to leave soon after. If she didn't return to the Shack, the townspeople would think she had vanished as well. "I'll be back tomorrow," she promised.

"I'm going to read through the book and see if it says anything else about curses," Dipper said.

"Would it help if I brought some fairytale books from the library?" The redhead asked, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear.

"It's worth a shot," Abby shrugged. "The internet might have some suggestions too."

"I'll see if I can do some research tonight, and we'll share our ideas," Wendy said. "I'll be back around noon. Is there anything you guys need from town?"

"Not that I can think of," Abby shrugged. "Unless you want to bring some soda. I haven't had soda in forever."

"I think I can do that," Wendy laughed. "Well, see ya!" She turned to leave. Abby silently flicked Dipper's shoulder with her tail and inclined her head towards Wendy. The boy's eyes narrowed in confusion, but he gaped once he understood the lioness's meaning.

"Go," the exasperated werecat mouthed.

"I'll walk you back," he said to Wendy. "If that's okay?"

"Sure, dude, let's go," she grinned.

Abigail smiled smugly as the two walked off towards the Shack.

* * *

Wendy struggled for a moment with the heavy backpack. The books inside nearly managed to unbalance her. The sun was almost midway through its arc in the sky, and she had almost reached the hollow tree. "Hey," she called as the glowing pool came into sight. "Abigail! Dipper!"

She heard a scuffling sound from over the ridge, and then heard Dipper cry out. Oh no. Wendy slipped off the backpack and dashed towards the sound. She watched in horror as Abigail lashed out, hitting Dipper and knocking him back.

"Stop!" Wendy shouted, bolting down the hill. "Stop, what are you DOING?" She placed herself between Dipper, who lay on the ground, and the Liongirl. Abby took a step back. The redhead's eyes were full of anger.

"Oh," Abigail said, taking another step back. "Oh, you think-" she broke off mid-sentence to give a hearty laugh. "You think-"

Wendy stared her down, enraged.

"Ow," Dipper laughed. "Abby, that one actually did hurt."

"Sorry man," she said.

"Wait, Wendy, are you okay?" Dipper asked, walking around to where Abigail stood.

"She just HIT you!" Wendy spat.

"Oh!" Dipper gave a small chuckle. "Of course she did, Wendy. She's teaching me how to fight. After that incident with the salamanders, Abigail thought it would be best for me to be prepared."

Now it was Wendy's turn to say "Oh." She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry."

"He's catching on," Abby said, choosing to ignore the hostility Wendy had shown earlier.. "But we're having a hard time figuring out how to keep him in his feet. He can take down people well, the problem is keeping himself from going down while he's doing so."

"Really? I never pegged you for much of a fighter, dude," Wendy said.

"I can fight!" Dipper protested. "I just choose not to. Unless there are giant lizards. On fire."

"Prove it," Wendy grinned.

"A...Alright," he said. "Abby?" The lioness nodded, squaring her shoulders and bringing her fists up in a guard.

"You make the first move, bro," she offered.

"Right," Dipper muttered. He threw a light jab towards Abby's jaw. She reached across to block it, slapping it away with her palm. Dipper moved closer, trying to close the distance between his fist and her face. She effortlessly knocked his punches to the side.

Dipper's eyes narrowed. There! She overextended her reach! He slipped under her strike, planted his foot behind hers, and used her own leverage to send her toppling to the ground. Unfortunately, his sneakers got tangled up too. He keeled over backwards next to Abigail.

"I see what you mean," Wendy nodded. "But not bad." As the other two climbed to their feet, she cracked her knuckles. "My turn. Move over, Abby."

"What?" Dipper shuffled back. "I can't-"

"Don't even think about saying you can't fight a girl," Wendy snarled.

"I was going to say that I can't fight YOU! don't want to hurt you! You just got out of the hospital!"

"You won't even land a hit," she growled, her pride injured by his words. "I scrap with my brothers all the time." Clearly, Wendy wouldn't take no for an answer. Dipper shrugged, then brought up his hands like Abigail taught him.

Wendy didn't hesitate, suckerpunching him in the gut. He scrambled back to his feet, feeling his chest tighten up from the wind rushing out of his lungs. She punched again, but this time, Dipper was ready. He easily blocked it at her wrist and tried to execute a kick to her stomach. As fast as lightning, she reached out, grabbed his shoe, and turned it sharply to the left. Unbalanced, Dipper felt himself faceplant in the dirt.

"You're getting there," she grinned. "Better than most I've fought."

Dipper sat on the ground, breathing heavily. "Thanks," he panted.

"I'll be right back," she said. "I left my bag on the other side of the ridge."

* * *

"Come, serpent," Sister Fox called. Her voice was lyrical, lilting up and down as if in a song. "Come, dear serpent, lend your aid to dear Fox. Use your coils to snare my prey."

* * *

Unseen and unheard by the trio, a bright green snake slipped out of the underbrush.

* * *

Wendy returned with her backpack. She plunked it down on the ground, unzipped the top pouch, and pulled out a small cooler. She flipped up the lid and revealed a six-pack of Pitt Cola. Abby's eyes widened.

"Go on," Wendy grinned, pulling a stack of fairytale books from the backpack. The lioness seized a can and popped the tab up with a claw. She took a deep swig of the soda, moaning once in pleasure.

"Oh man," she said, stopping to breathe. "I didn't remember it being this good." She wiped her mouth with the back of her fur-covered hand.

Dipper took a can of soda and the top book from the stack. Flipping through the pages and sipping Pitt Cola, he glanced back up at Wendy. "So did you find anything interesting online?"

"Most of the curse breakers involved salt or the ocean," she frowned. "I brought some salt, but I don't think it'll work." Wendy reached down into the bag again, revealing a pack of Oreos. She opened it and set it on the ground in front of her. Abby sat down across from the cookies and Wendy. Dipper sat to one side, in between, so that they formed a triangle.

Abby gingerly took a cookie with her claws, staring at it as if it were made of pure gold. Dipper reached for an Oreo too, but Wendy knocked his hand aside. "Those are for Abby, bro. These are for us." She pulled out another unopened package of the sandwich cookies.

"So," Abby muttered around a mouthful. "Find anything besides the salt methods?"

"There were a few fairytales about animal curses, stuff like Beauty and the Beast, and stories of people wearing animal skins to shapeshift, but nothing like your curse," Wendy admitted.

* * *

The three compared ideas and stuffed their faces, blissfully unaware of the serpent. As it slithered towards them, it grew.

* * *

"Do you guys hear that?" Abby asked, tilting her head.

"Hear wha-" something collided with Dipper's rib cage. He gasped for breath, toppling over. A groan escaped his lips. He heard Wendy shout and Abigail snarl. He sat up again, struggling to see through the stars bursting in his vision.

A snake. A snake as thick as a tree towered over them. Its jaw slack and fangs bared, it hissed at them. The werelion hissed back, her claws extended. Wendy stood her ground, but what chance did she have against a giant snake? Dipper forced himself to stand. He opened his wings to stop himself from staggering forward.

"Dipper," Abby's voice was low and cautious. "Do you read comic books?"

"No," he whispered back. "Why?"

"I'm borrowing a plan from the X-Men."

"What?"

"Walk over here, as quietly and slowly as you can. Wendy, try to get behind us." Abby didn't even move to see if they followed her orders. "Okay, now, when this happens, it's going to happen all at once. When you get up in the air, Dipper, you're going to want to gain altitude, and strike on its forehead or neck. Got that?"

"How am I going to get up there?!" He hissed.

"Like this."

Without warning, she grabbed his wrists, pivoted back, and threw him into the air, past the snake's head.

The serpent lunged forward. Beads of liquid dripped from its fangs. Both girls moved back at once, leaping in opposite directions away from the strike.

* * *

"Quickly, serpent, before the chance is gone!" Sister Fox hissed.

* * *

Dipper's wings snapped open, catching the air. He circled once, squinting at the spot where the snake's head connected to the rest of its body. He hovered in mid-air above his target for a split second, but then brought his wings in tight. He plunged feet-first, landing on the back of the snake's head. He heard a snapping crunch and felt a jarring in his bones. The serpent collapsed beneath him.

He heard Abby shout in exhilaration and realized the snake was dead. Yes! He slid down to one side, grinning madly. "We did it-" his victory was suddenly cut off. A cry of panic rang out. Wendy! Dipper dashed around the motionless snake, Abigail right on his heels.

Wendy sat on the edge of the pond. She was soaking wet. She stared in horror at a tiny cut on her hand. "The snake-" she said haltingly. "The snake pushed me in. I cut myself on...On one of the little statues."


End file.
